This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Autophagy is a process whereby proteins and organelles are degraded in the vacuole. Altered autophagy is associated with cancer, aging and diabetics. Understanding how autophagy is regulated may lead to therapeutic strategies to eliminate abnormal proteins that accumulate in various pathological conditions.